Sunday, 23 November 2014

The Green Party Trade Union Group sends its support to NHS workers from all the unions who will be on strike tomorrow, (24/11/2014). The severe pay freezes imposed by the government are unjust and part of the unjust neo-liberal policies punish the poor, the sick, the vulnerable and also those who provide health care.

As if that were not enough, NHS workers are sometimes doing their utmost to keep an adequate health service running inspite of misguided marketization and cut backs.

We all need the work that these workers do and they need a decent wage!

Sunday, 16 November 2014

TRADE UNION VICTIMISATION

Secretary of Haringey National Union of Teachers (NUT), Julie Davies, is currently suspended pending an investigation which has been triggered by two letters from the Haringey Early Years and Primary Heads Association and the Haringey Secondary Heads Association.

Around 90 NUT union members at two secondary schools in Haringey struck on Wednesday 5th November. It was the first day of sustained action over the victimisation and the campaign to defend Julie continues.

The local newspaper, the Ham and High, are conducting an online poll asking whether readers support the NUT or the headteachers in the current dispute over union funding and victimisation. The NUT are asking everyone to please vote in the poll.See the Ham and High poll here...

Pamphlet launch

London Region UCU have organised an event to launch the UCU pamphlet Why immigration is good for all of usWednesday 3 December, 6.30pm
Westminster Kingsway College
211 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8RA
(Near Kings Cross station)Download the pamphlet...

UCU Publication - "Why immigration is good for all of us"

Beaten but not Defeated

Merilyn Moos will launch her book ‘Beaten but not Defeated. Siegfried Moos: an anti-Nazi who settled in Britain’ at Bookmarks - 1 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3QE - on Friday, 14th November, at 6.30pmmore details about the book..

Bread, Freedom and Social Justice

Anne Alexander of Middle East and North Africa Solidarity, who recently spoke at a branch meeting, has just published a book which argues that collective action by organised workers played a fundamental role in the Arab Spring in Egypt, which erupted after years of strikes and social protests.more details about the book...

Next Branch Meeting

Next branch meeting will be on December 4th at 2pm at UCU Head Office, Carlow Street

TUC Demonstration - Britain Needs a Pay Rise

Saturday 18th October

London Retired Members meet outside Kings College on the Strand at 11:30am if you want to march with our banner. The main UCU contingent will be assembling by "lamp-post 11" on the embankment near Temple Tube Station (Temple tube station itself will be closed).If you miss us, the secretary's mobile phone is 07875791513.more details about the march route etc from here...

Sunday, 12 October 2014

The Green Party Trade Union group sends solidarity to all those NHS workers who are striking today (13/10/2014). It is a disgrace that in one of the richer nations of the world, we are so misgoverned that workers in our health services are not properly paid for their skilled and dedicated work, whilst the government continually seeks to make the provision of health available as a source of profit to the private sector. GPTU and the Green Party stand for a properly resourced health service staffed by properly paid workers providing health free at the point of need. Victory to the NHS strikers!

Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Defend Maryam Al-Khawaja

The last branch meeting voted to support the campaign to Defend Maryam Al-Khawaja, leading member of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. More details from the branch website...

Events

Lambeth College dispute - 7th October demo

Lambeth College UCU are still in dispute over management's attempt to impose a new (much worse) contract.London Region UCU has called a demonstration on Tuesday 7th October from 5pmonwards, outside Lambeth College, Clapham Centre (Clapham Common tube, Northern Line). Our banner will be there, please try to come to support this important dispute.More details...

Friday, 26 September 2014

Despite what some may claim, Britain’s older generation are not to blame for the economic crisis. Neither does it help when the media suggests that there is a conflict between young and old, especially when the age groups share the same concerns over affordable housing, public transport, low incomes and retirement ages.

But growing older can be a real challenge. Britain’s state pension is amongst the least adequate in the developed world, some of the stories surrounding the care of older people are absolutely shocking and last winter over 30,000 pensioners died from the cold.

A country can be said to be judged by the way it treats its young and older members. That is why we need a series of policies that improve the lives of Britain’s 11m pensioners, as well as protecting future generations of older people. At the General Election we will call on candidates to support our Pensioners’ Manifesto that will put the concerns of older people at the heart of the political process.

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Next UCU London Retired Members branch meeting will be onThursday September 25th, 2pm-4pm at the union's Carlow Street offices

People's Climate March

PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH LONDON12:30 pm Temple Place – Sunday Sept 21st (March sets off at 1pm)On September 21st, the eve of a historic summit on climate change, people across the world will take to the streets in their hundreds and thousands to inspire the world’s most powerful leaders to take ambitious action on the climate crisis.More details...

Lambeth College, The fight continues

Our colleagues at Lambeth College are still facing a severe attack from their management. UCU members met recently and voted overwhelmingly to ballot for further industrial action in their dispute with the college over new contracts with worse conditions. The new conditions include cutting our holidays by 2 weeks, working longer hours for no extra pay and drastic cuts to sick pay. London Retired Members supported their strike at the end of last term and will do so again.

Support the 595 Greek women cleaners in the front line against austerity in Europe

Support the International Day of Solidarity by joining the demonstration (with your buckets, mops and banners) when we Stand in Solidarity with the 595 Cleaners - from 09.30 to 11.00 morning on Saturday 20 September - outside the Hellenic Centre, 16 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5ASMore details here...

Next Branch Meeting

And the next UCU London Retired Members branch meeting will be on Thursday September 25th, 2pm-4pm at the union's Carlow Street offices. Directions from here...

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

A Walk, the Next Meeting and an Update on Bahrain

WalkThe next Retired Members and Friends walk will be on Monday August 18th,more details from here...Branch MeetingThe next UCU London Retired Members branch meeting will be on Thursday September 25th, 2pm-4pm at the union's Carlow Street offices. Directions from here...BahrainAn article entitled "Bahrain: Trade Unions and the Struggle for Democracy" written by Dave Binns, who is a member of our branch, will shortly be posted on the MENA Solidarity website. Retired Members can get a preview from our own site here...

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Defend the City Lit

Protect the educational character of the City Lit and make NO compulsory redundancies

Cuts on Adult Education mean 73 jobs to go, but the cuts seem especially to target Disabled and Working Class Students; the Dept for Deaf Students and Fresh Horizons, the Department for Access are about to be massacred.
The UCU and GMB branches are campaigning against these awful cuts. Sign the petition here...